Black Codes In the South Following the Civil War

       Black codes were laws passed by the Southern States following the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation and opposing the Thirteenth Amendment. The purpose of these laws was to keep the power of "White Supremacy,"  these white supremacists believed that black people were meant to be slaves because they were inferior to the whites all because of skin color. Under the black codes the freedmen could be arrested and put into involuntary labor if they did not abide the Segregation laws, like using the water fountain that says black on it. Also the laws restricted the freedom of the freedmen. Black men in the Antebellum South could not bear arms, become literate, speak freely, or blame a white person in court. Black Codes also restricted black people to own property, move freely through public spaces, conduct businesses, and buy and lease land. Even though the Civil Rights Act was passed later banning black codes and granting the black men full civil rights and voting allowance; the South came back in control and removed the black people's freedom and no Civil Rights era emerged again till the late twentieth century. The black people struggled their way through freedom and it was not easy. 

  

Segregation Laws/Black Codes.Photograph.n.d.
blogger.Web.05 Jan.14

Balloon Carriers During the Civil War

            The capabilities of the carrier balloons, a lot similar to hot air balloons in structure were a big plus to the Union Army during the Civil War. They could detect activities of Confederate Soldiers up to fifteen miles away. Also they were good for creating maps and artillery spotting. The vast land and activities was seen by the "Chief Aeronaut," who was floating on a roped balloon in the sky and serving as a spy to the Union Army as well pointing out key places to avoid and ones that are useful for setting traps. Thaddeus Lowe was a smart balloon Aeronaut who by the Union Government's consent got granted permission to build seven balloons. twelve field gas generators, and a flat top balloon barge "aircraft carrier," and together with a number of accomplished Aeronauts Lowe made the seven balloons and spread them throughout the Potomac River from October 1861 to 1862 providing Washington D.C. with security and observant from upcoming Confederate forces. Balloon carriers also were a big support to the Civil War.

  

Balloon Carriers Civil War.Photograph.n.d.First Modern War
state.Web 05 Jan.14.

The Knights of the White Camellia

        It was a secret society similar to the Ku Klux Klan; however, it was founded in the deeper south. The group also wanted to regain "White Supremacy," but the group targeted towards the carpetbaggers, who had gone South to aid the freedmen during the Reconstruction Era. It was organized in New Orleans in May 1857 and later it spread throughout the lower South, reaching as far west as Texas and far east as the Carolinas. They avoided publicity and their plans were kept more secret,distinguishing them from the Ku Klux Klan. Also their methods weren't as violent as the Klansman. The Knights of the White Camellia were larger in population and held a higher status in society than the Ku Klux Klan. In other ways they were counterparts to the Klan, for they had a long and detailed ritual ceremony and their routines included signs, grips, and passwords. Their symbol a white camellia flower, symbolized the purity of the white race. There were many racial terrorizing groups during the Reconstruction Era and growing later on into the twentieth Century. Believe it or not these secret societies still exist today but have decreased in size and power. 

Knights of the White Camellia Symbol.Photograph.n.d. Patch Knights of the White Camellia
Web.05 Jan.14.

Soldier Letters Home to Loved Ones

       Receiving a military letter was not like receiving any ordinary letter. Soldiers were almost gone for almost three years before they could see their loved ones, and a letter went out every ten months probably. Parents,wives,and other family members were waiting for that letter. They are with tension because they do not know what is inside the envelope. Letters were sent home for a variety of reasons like a death of a soldier, or a simple I miss you. Usually, these letters home were open in private before they spread the news to their family or kept it to themselves. These letters were the only form of communication that soldiers had during their time at war. Almost all soldiers pleaded their loved ones to write back to them as soon as they could. The family felt relieved from good letters and the soldiers liked to hear from their family. Three years is a long time from home and there are many changes back at home among family members and the society. Letters were very crucial to soldiers life and improving his time at war as well as keeping close to family. 

Soldier Letters Home.Photograph.n.d.Military Letter Writing

examiner.Web.05 Jan.14.     

Artists and the Civil War

         When Civil War photography wasn't around , artists painted and sketched scenes of the Civil War. Reporters helped sketch artists get a better visualization of the war. Alfred Waud was the nation's best known sketcher , who drew the war for the nation's pictorial press. As an artist he went into dangerous situations, for he was near fight scenes and tumult in the battle. However, he drew these scenes so intimately that his art became popular nationwide. The artist's first war sketch was of the Custer Division retiring from Mount Jackson in Shenandoah  Valley, Virginia on October 7, 1864. Not only sketch artists were common, but painting in the Art Industry changed as well. Homer Winslow was a famous painter and his paintings were popular amongst rural areas. After the war Winslow began to paint images of how after life was following the war. He painted images of  free slaves, soldiers, and the community life style in the post war era. Artists played a crucial role in displaying the feelings and society change during and after the Civil War.

Waud Alfred.Sketch.Photograph.n.d. Siege of Petersburg
Wikipedia.Web. 05 Jan.14.
  

Homer Winslow. Photograph.n.d. "Home Sweet Home"
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. 05 Jan.14.

         

Roles of Women in the Civil War

            When the men were out at war fighting for the country, what were the women doing? The obvious would be that they were taking care of their children and the household chores. However, they were not just at home; rather they played many roles in the Civil War. Some key roles that women took on during the Civil War were nurses, spies, war relief workers, and even secret soldiers. An estimated 400 women disguised themselves and fought in the Civil War and some without ever revealing their identity. Over hundreds of women were spies for the Union and Confederate. By communicating with soldiers, they got military information to tell their supporting side. The spies also secretly smuggled supplies across enemy zones in their large hoop skirts. They carried ammunition and medicine as well as other useful necessities. During the Civil War, there were over 2,000 nurses that the press nicknamed them "Florence Nightingales." Nursing could have been a horrifying job, for they had to look at the sickly wounds of hurt soldiers. They cleaned and bandaged the wounds, dispensed medicine, and assisted surgeons during amputation procedures. Even if they weren't in the battlefields women still supported the war at home, women began charities to support the soldiers. They participated in sewing circles and made clothes for the men as well as held charity drives, where they gathered food and medicine for the troops. Also, they held fundraisers to raise money, like the  1863 Sanitary Fair in Chicago. Therefore, women should also be remembered for their war efforts.  

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The Women of the War 

Photography and the Civil War

        The Civil War was a big moment in American Society and many photographers captured it. Popular photographers during the Civil War era were, Matthew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and Timothy O'Sullivan. Brady asked President Lincoln to follow the Union militia to a battlefield in what was defined as a "short and glorious war;" however in the first cries of the battle, Brady had already lost his wagon and equipment. Instead he organized a corps of field photographers who made the first extended photographic coverage of the war. Photography in the Civil War was time consuming and difficult. Photographers had to carry all there equipment to the battlefields, including their dark room wagons and they had to process their photos by the careful and long method of wet-plates and especially the hard part was making cumbersome-light sensitive images in cramped wagons. Since the battlefields were too dangerous for the wet paint procedures, photo shooting was mainly done in rare occasions, like camp scenes, planning, and the aftermath of the battle. Even though there was a lot of hassle in getting the photos ready, the results astounded americans and they were widespread across the nation. They began to be displayed in various sizes as well. Through the lively photos many Americans got a feel of the Civil War.

Brady Photography Wagon.Photograph. n.d.Brady Photo Collection
Explore PA History.Web.05 Jan. 14.